Shootings down in NYC -- except for Brooklyn South

Shootings down in NYC -- except for Brooklyn South

Serious crime has decreased across most of the city, except for precincts in Brooklyn South, shown here in red. Precinct map courtesy of the NYPD

Rape on the rise across Brooklyn

By Mary Frost

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Shootings and other major crimes are down citywide so far this year, according to the city’s statistics – except for precincts in Brooklyn South, which covers a geographical area from Cobble Hill in the north to Coney Island in the south.

And across Brooklyn incidents of rape are on the rise, with a 20 percent increase over this time last year.

New York City as a whole has seen 249 fewer shootings than at this time last year, CompStat figures show. As of August 25, there were 708 shootings citywide, compared to 957 at this point in 2012, for a decrease of 26 percent.

Brooklyn South bucked that trend, however, with a 9.25 percent overall increase in serious crimes (from 346 to 378) as of August 18, the last week figures were available. Serious crimes include murder, rape, robbery, felonious assault, and grand larceny.

Serious crime was up 9.5 percent in the 62nd Precinct, which includes Bensonhurst. Rape spiked an incredible 450 percent there, with just 2 rapes reported as of August 18 in 2012, but 11 as of that date this year. Burglary was up 36 percent.

Rape increased by 24 percent across Brooklyn South, even in precincts that are otherwise experiencing a decline in serious crime. While crime decreased overall in Brooklyn’s 70th Precinct (Midwood, Ditmas Park and Prospect Park South), rape jumped by 186 percent – from 7 incidents to 20 so far this year. In the 69th Precinct (Canarsie), rape was up 150 percent; in the 78th Precinct (Park Slope and parts of Carroll Gardens and Gowanus), rape was up 150 percent. Crime was otherwise down 5 percent in the 78th Precinct.

In Brooklyn North major crimes were down 2.11 percent (from 426 to 417) as of August 18. But some neighborhoods experienced a jump, such as Crown Heights in the 77th Precinct, where serious crime increased more than 11 percent. And across Brooklyn North, rape increased overall by 16 percent.

While murder and rape decreased by 50 percent to only one incident apiece in Brooklyn North’s 84th Precinct (Brooklyn Heights, parts of Downtown), the overall crime rate there was nudged up by an increase in grand larceny.

The city says it’s important to put temporary increases in perspective. Throughout Brooklyn South, major crimes have decreased 35 percent since 2001, and 76 percent since 1993.

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